The Department of Accounting, Economics, and Finance

The Department of Accounting, Economics, and Finance is part of the Business Division. The department’s curricula, degree programs and faculty mentors help prepare students to embark on successful careers in a globally competitive business world. In addition, we provide students with a solid foundation on which to build specialized professional careers in accounting, economics and finance.

Our mission is to provide students with the professional and technical tools to succeed in a widely competitive marketplace. To this end, courses offered by the department focus on student-centered pedagogy and strive to employ adaptive-learning strategies. Courses are offered using various modalities: online, face-to-face, group studies, residencies and independent studies. Students work with their faculty mentors to develop degree programs that may include college credits from regionally accredited higher education institutions, as well as credits awarded through prior learning assessment at Empire State College. In the prior learning assessment process, students earn college credits for college-level learning gained outside of the traditional classroom, such as through work experience.

As a student in the Business Division, you will develop analytical, management, communication, and quantitative skills, increase your understanding of economic principles and disciplinary methods and learn about the effective use of information technologies to support your career or personal goals and aspirations as, together with a faculty mentor, you create a program to meet your specific needs and goals.

Degrees Available

As a regionally accredited college of the State University of New York, Empire State College offers the following degrees in the Business, Management and Economics area of study:

• Associate of Arts (AA).
• Associate of Science (AS).
• Bachelor of Arts (BA).
• Bachelor of Science (BS).
• Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS).
• Combined B.A./B.S./B.P.S. in Business, Management, and Economics / M.A. in Community and Economic Development.
• Combined B.A./B.S./B.P.S. in Business, Management, and Economics / M.B.A. in Business Management.

Note: for a concentration in Accounting Practices, auditing must be upper-level course.

The Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance, in addition to the A.A. and A.S. degrees, offers the following bachelor's degree programs:

• B.S. Accounting.
• B.S./B.A./B.P.S Business Management and Economics: Financial Accounting Concentration including focusing on other career paths such as: Management Accounting, Forensic Accounting, Not-for-profit, and Internal Auditing.
• B.S./B.A./B.P.S. Business Management and Economics: Economics Concentration.
• B.S./B.A./B.P.S. Business Management and Economics: Finance Concentration.

Nondegree Students

Taking individual courses as a nondegree student is also possible and will offer you the same range and depth of courses and rigorous standards as matriculated undergraduate students. Even if you’re not pursuing a degree, you can take courses to prepare for college-level study, stay current in your field or improve your job skills.